I was so pleased to have the opportunity to read this as I had enjoyed The Dinner Guest.
This is another super story with twists and turns. It follows Stephanie as she wakes up in hospital, and each chapter reveals more and more of what has led her to this moment.
Without giving too much of the story away, there are some suspicious neighbours and an underlying sadness. Five stars

Rating - 2.5 stars rounded off to 3

Having got used to heading blind into a book & going by the cover, I thought this book was about a creepy attic with a plethora of secrets waiting to be unearthed! Sadly that was not it at all. It is very disappointing when the title of a book has got nothing to do with the entire plot.

Synopsis –

Stephanie has lost her son Danny & husband Pete in a terrible accident. She thinks her neighbors have something to do with it & is determined to find out what.

Review –

With Stephanie’s narratives spread over multiple timelines, it got very confusing & hard to keep track of. She wasn’t very likeable & I never really connected to her.

Danny’s POV was mostly what kept me interested. New to his neighborhood, he develops a friendship with Jonathan, the 17 year old, from the house opposite. As with all teenagers, Danny & Jonathan, they meander through their share of ups & downs. Unfortunately, strange things begin to happen leading up to Danny’s death.

All through the book, I kept waiting for the attic to become the main focus. But it is astounding how until about 86% there wasn’t any mention of it at all! When it was finally brought up, it failed to create the mind-blowing effect I was expecting it to have. Where were the dark secrets? Where were the dead bodies? All we get is some utterly gross & laughable stuff.

So many threads of the plot, seemed to go nowhere & felt totally unnecessary. And if the unanswered questions & loose ends were not enough, the ending was like salt over the wound! It felt super abrupt & while I turned pages hoping for a better & solid conclusion, I was only left with acknowledgments.

This storyline had a great potential, but the execution of it was handled poorly.

Thanks to NetGalley & Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I read the book as a part of a readalong with One More Chapter on Instagram but totally failed at it. :) Once I started reading just I had to know how it ends. I read it in one sitting and haven't recovered yet. :) A very addicting part mystery part coming-of-age story.


There is a big explosion in the city and citizens are advised to stay inside. Stephenie is living alone in a huge house. She lost her husband and son in a car accident. Son became very distant in the months before his death. He was gone before she could get any answers from him. She is convinced that there was more going on and that the neighbour kid, his best friend knows more than he tells. So she invited herself over to their house in the mids of the lockdown to find some answers.

The story jumps between what is happening now, to when she has met her husband, the move from London, and her sons' blooming friendship with the neighbour's kid. The writing is so good! I was on the edge of my seat for the whole book.

The ending was very unexpected, I had my suspicion about what was going on and what was in that attic, but I could have never guessed... that. :)

Highly recommend it!

received an ARC as a part of the readalong with One More Chapter, all thoughts are my own

The Locked Attic is a dark and intense read full of secrets and mystery. The way the different chapters moved from past to present events really kept the story moving at a fast pace.
This story kept me guessing til the very end and intrigued me completely. I thought I’d figured it out at one stage but then changed my mind time and time again as more of the secrets and lies were unravelled. As we finally came to the conclusion I must admit I was left wanting more but that’s just me.
I really enjoyed reading about the characters of Danny and Jonathan- their friendship added something to the story making it more than just another thrilling read. For fans of BP Walter’s The Dinner Guest, The Locked Attic is another recommendation from me.

EXCERPT: As I lie here, vague memories start to take shape. Edges start to appear. Clarity begins to emerge. And the image of a house arrives, clear and fully formed at the front of my mind.

The Franklin's house.

54 Oak Tree Close.

I remember what my son said, the day he first visited that place. 'Something's not quite right.' It sent a prickle down the back of my neck at the time, and it does so again now. It's all to do with that house. The things that happened there. What's hidden in the attic.

I reach for another sip of water and realise my hands have started to shake.

ABOUT 'THE LOCKED ATTIC': There’s something in my neighbour’s attic.

Something steeped in shadows. A secret to everyone. Seen by no one…

He stands sometimes at the window. Hidden in the corner of my eye.

I know he’s there. I know he’s watching.

Now my son is dead. My neighbour is not.

And I’m going to find out why.

MY THOUGHTS: I'm not quite sure why The Locked Attic didn't really work for me. I know that I didn't relate to any of the adult characters. Danny, Jonathan and Mimi I had no problem with.

There were several plot devices used in the course of the book which, while they seemed a little OTT to me, were necessary to further the story. But they did feel a little heavy handed.

I didn't have a problem with the multiple narrators nor the nonlinear timeline - but, be warned, the timeline does jump all over the place.

I thought the reason behind the boys falling out was kind of obvious, but then it transpires that there is more to it than is immediately revealed. And the final revelation - the secret in the attic - is just downright gross.

The Locked Attic is a bit of a messy read. I had a couple of false starts before I actually got into reading it, and in the end, it was only an okay read for me.

⭐⭐.8

#TheLockedAttic #NetGalley

I: @bpwalterauthor @onemorechapterhc

T: @BarnabyWalter @HarperCollinsUK

#contemporaryfiction #domesticdrama #mystery

THE AUTHOR: Born and raised in Essex, Walter studied Film and English at the University of Southampton before taking an MA in Film and Cultural Management. Whilst working as a bookseller for Waterstones he enrolled in the Faber Academy which led to the publication of his debut novel in 2019.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Locked Attic by B.P. Walter for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

First off, a big thank you to HarperCollinsUK, OneMoreChapter, and NetGalley for an eARC of “The Locked Attic” by B. P. Walter, as well as for including me in an Instagram readalong of the book.

“The Locked Attic” follows a woman after the death of her son and husband. With differing time lines and points of view, this story attempts to fill in the gaps about what happened in the days and years leading up to their deaths, and what the neighbors across the street have to do with any of it.

Being completely honest, I left this book with some mixed feelings. While overall the plot was good, it’s nothing like what I had expected when I read the description of the book. While it was certainly an interesting story, I wish I had been more clued in to what the plot was really going to be like before I started.

In the end, this one wasn’t for me. I wanted a little bit more thrill from it, maybe it was just that I couldn’t shake my preconceived expectation of what I thought it would be. Have you read “The Locked Attic?”

This book has twists and turns and kept me guessing until the end. It is written from different viewpoints and has multiple timelines. The story itself focuses mainly on Stephanie, who moved from London to Kent with her husband and son Danny. and wakes up in hospital confused and disoriented, unsure as to how she got there. We soon establish that there is something suspicious about the Franklin family across the road. What are they hiding? I loved how Danny and Jonathan Franklin’s friendship developed but I would have liked a bit more background on the Franklin family, especially Janet Franklin. Also Stephanie’s relationship with her own family was only touched on and I personally would have liked more. Thank you to Netgalley and One More Chapter Harper Collins for the opportunity to take part in the readlong for this.

I was so intrigued by the synopsis, who was the mysterious figure and what happened to the son? The book opens with Stephanie waking up in a hospital bed with few memories of how she got there. The book is then told through flashbacks to 7 months ago. I loved the intrigue of this one, which certainly kept me guessing, I was truly compelled to keep reading through all of the twists and turns of this absorbing book. With secrets uncovered, this is a fantastic book.

Plot
There’s something in my neighbour’s attic.

Something steeped in shadows. A secret to everyone. Seen by no one…

He stands sometimes at the window. Hidden in the corner of my eye.

I know he’s there. I know he’s watching.

Now my son is dead. My neighbour is not.

And I’m going to find out why.

Review
Ok now I’ve picked my jaw up off the floor I can put some thoughts together.

This is a tense and fast paced novel dealing with some seriously dark issues. You already feel like the outsider looking in from the first page and you honestly want grief stricken Stephanie to find out as much as you.

The Franklins are the perfect amount of old school creepy and you know there’s something up with them from the start you just don’t know what.

The book jumps time frames and points of view but flows freely and quickly and you don’t get confused whilst reading.

There are some triggering themes in here but if you can read you should. It’s a perfect, edge of your seat thriller that you won’t be able to put down.

Rating
5/5

Recommend
Yes - trigger warnings apply.

Thank you to One More Chapter for an advance copy as part of the readalong.

An intriguing premise that unfortunately fell flat for me. This was a case of too many plot lines that were trying too hard to shock. The title didn't tie in until almost the end, and if that storyline had been the central focus of the book instead of everything else, I really think I would have enjoyed it more. I never really connected with the characters, and usually dual timelines and alternating points of view are my favorite, but they were just confusing in this book.

I haven't read anything else by this author, and I'm open to trying another title.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publisher for my e-copy of THE LOCKED ATTIC that will release May 9, 2023.

The Locked Attic was a gripping read that kept me turning the pages. I got about half way through this thriller and suddenly I couldn’t put it down.
At times it’s a little implausible, that you can invite yourself in to someone’s house and refuse to leave until you have the answers you crave, which pretty much just land in your lap.. I didn’t particularly like Stephanie.

However, I was really moved by the relationship between two other characters. Their relationship was written beautifully and that was my favourite part of the book.

I came up with some weird and wonderful theories as I read but I was way off on what was actually in the attic. The ending was really poignant but there were one or two plot events that were left unexplained.

To sum up, it’s not a perfect read but it was a total page turner and I was entertained throughout. I would recommend it to those who like quick and easy domestic thrillers.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

This was an odd, unsuspecting read. Was not prepared for the premise but the subject matter was well written and evoked emotions for the character and what they were going through. The perfect family is anything but and the neighbors get caught up in very disturbing ways. Loved the story lines and how screwed up but real the family dynamics were.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc

This was a twisted book. Told in alternating chapters from present time to past. We follow Stephanie after she looses her husband and son. She visits their neighbors to try to find out more about what was going on with her son. What she eventually finds out was a big surprise.
Parts of the book were more interesting than others.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

Review copy (eARC) provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm hesitant to give a less than stellar review for books that didn't connect with me when I think the issue is me, not the author (see some of my other Goodreads reviews). However, I did round down my rating in this instance because it was just not an experience that clicked for me.

This is such a mix-up of a book that is deceptive and teasing and it's not until the end that it all makes sense. Which, of course, is what it's supposed to be. Not until the end does the locked attic become a feature but the prospect of it hangs over the entire story like a spectre. The chapters are marked by an explosion, before it happened - even years before, days after, the day itself...it seems to be a significant event. Then there's the car crash.

A story about two families who live facing each other in an upmarket district in Kent. Told mainly from the perspective of one of the women in the first person, jumping across periods of time, telling a simple and often seemingly mundane lifeline. How she met her husband, how she feels by not being as well-connected or as wealthy as he is, her dysfunctional family and so on. How she suspects her neighbours (the snobby, affected wife and the quiet, creepy husband) of keeping secrets.

The other narrator is her teenage son and his story is about his friendship with the boy from the family over the road. This is a heart-warming coming of age tale, about friendship, anxiety and love. And secrets.

A confusing and disjointed mystery until everything falls cleverly into place. Some interesting characters with skilled nuance. Recommended.

The Locked Attic was promised to be a "just one more chapter" book and it definitely lived up to that expectation!

This story opens up in a hospital where we meet Stephanie. We have no idea why Stephanie is in the hospital, but we do find out shortly that she's lost her family prior and that she doesn't quite feel right about the circumstances. What follows is a nonlinear timeline where we go back to try to piece together what exactly has happened to cause the death of her son and husband, which she feels was not as accidental as it seemed while also figuring out what has landed her in the hospital in the first place. Between the creepy, strange family across the street and the relationship with her son she is still trying to make sense of after his death, you won't want to miss this one!

This story was incredibly engaging right from the start. While I enjoyed the nonlinear timeline, I will admit it was difficult for me to figure out what was happening and when at first. However, after a few chapters I got each of the timeline's down and was sucked into the story. It was definitely one that had me up late into the night reading. I will definitely continue to check out books by this author!

I had seen some amazingly pre-release promotions about this book, so was delighted to be able to review a pre-released copy.

Ok, so I am a little disappointed. Was expecting something more but can’t put my finger on exactly what is missing. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it and was engaged and invested in the death of little Danny but expecting something a little more explosive as a conclusion. This is my personal preference, and I know some readers have loved this, so please don’t be put off picking it up!

Although this was a slow burner, to begin with, I soon became invested in the characters and finding out their secrets, so am glad I stuck with it. Without adding spoilers, I will just say there are many of them! Some twisted, some a little predictable.

I usually love a dual timeline set-up, but this did become a little frustrating in places as the past was drip fed in small quantities. However, not enough to make me want to put the book down.

Overall, this is worth the read, with a rating of three stars. Perhaps I should have gone in without expectations, and I would have enjoyed it more. See what you think of this new release!

I didn’t really like this book. Once again I expected what the synopsis promised, a dark thriller and I was mislead. It was so slow and I did not like the multiple timelines.

Stephanie wakes up in a hospital without any recollection about what happened. She has a head injury and is confused.

The book goes into the days leading up to a gigantic explosion and the day of. Then there’s the mystery of what is locked away, hidden in the attic.

The Locked Attic is available November 24,2023.

Thank you to netgalley and harpercollinsuk for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was a huge case of “don’t judge a book by its cover/synopsis” because I most definitely did it with this one. 🫠 I expected something ENTIRELY different to what I ended up reading. The synopsis made it sound like the book’s focus would be the locked attic which is why I imagined this to be a locked room mystery/thriller with an attic setting. If this book is giving you the same vibes, you might want to either go into this with an open mind or even better, completely blind.

If this book wasn’t short and I wasn’t invested in Danny’s POV, I most likely would have DNF this one. The story itself was anticlimactic, several aspects predictable, and the multiple jumps into different timelines made it messy.

Unfortunately, this book just was not for me.

People from the city, beware the suburbs! Stephanie, her husband Pete and their fifteen-year-old son, Danny, move into an upscale London suburb. Danny soon makes friends with the kid across the street. But Stephanie finds the parents are just plain odd. What secrets are they hiding in The Locked Attic?

Explosions, a mystery and an impressively tender coming-of-age story are marred by an obvious early plot twist. However, The Locked Attic’s final twist is shocking and well worth the time spent reading the book. 4 stars!

Thanks to One More Chapter and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.